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Jelly Bean’s daughter Bertie is an charming small “playful character”. The whale Orion – called “Onion” – is a large but guardian-like companion. Zephyr has “endless energy” and wiggles like a worm. Lillooet is the “most affectionate” with a kind nature.

A group of thirty captive marine mammals in a Canadian entertainment facility have been caught in a tussle between a defunct facility, government authorities and animal rights activists.

But those most familiar with the whales say the intense controversy over their destiny often ignores the nuances of the whales who, after growing up in enclosed habitats, have been closely studied by the humans who see them each day.

After the federal government blocked the sale of the belugas to a foreign facility, the embattled amusement park near the famous falls where they are housed warned to put them down unless the government funds the upkeep of their care. Canada’s marine resources official has refused that request, placing the thirty whales in an ever more uncertain circumstance.

Highly Cognitive Sea Creatures

Scientists say that beluga whales’ neuroanatomy, along with their mimicry abilities, problem solving and communal behavior indicate they are deeply intelligent creatures – something Kristy Burgess learned directly.

Burgess spent three years as a marine mammal specialist, a job that involved building relationships of the marine predators.

“Developing those bonds over time takes a lot of regularity and a lot of affection. At the start, they’re very unsure of you,” she said. “In time, you gain shared confidence. And they start being more trusting with you. It’s just so wonderful and gratifying.”

The trainer knew the whales were highly intelligent, but she says she was nonetheless amazed by the nuances and idiosyncrasies in their personalities. She cultivated a special affection for a pair of whales with opposing natures.

“Eve accepted me. Cleo made me earn it,” she said. “Both transformed the way I view bonding.”

Public Concerns and Facility Decline

Her interaction with the whales evolved against a backdrop of increasing societal concern to their enclosure.

During her tenure at the facility, multiple belugas and the park’s one killer whale, the orca, passed away. In total, 19 belugas have perished at the park since 2019, a number which the park ascribes to natural mortality, but which advocates say reflects the inadequate care in which they were maintained.

The facility did not open to the visitors over the recent season, but Burgess says she observed directly consequences of the shutdown. “Concrete is falling apart from the pools because they’re falling apart and not being maintained. The whales are inquisitive and so they pick it up and swim around with fragments in their mouth. It’s heartbreaking to see.”

The facility did not reply to a inquiry, but in the past claimed: “The whales … get far better medical attention and 24/7 attention than any individual in the United Kingdom, or elsewhere.”

Uncertain Future and Potential Resolutions

The former employee was terminated from the park in recent months following the demise of a beluga, an ailing beluga the park staff had to put down. She said the park believed information of the incident were disclosed to the press and she was fired soon after.

The uncertainty over the whales’ outcome has left Burgess and other caretakers in despair. She says the park’s ultimatum to euthanize its whales is a bargaining chip and is a “extremely difficult” endeavor, adding any attempts to euthanize even a single beluga would require “significant staff”, vehicles and heavy equipment.

“It’s impossible in hell the caretakers would ever do it,” she said.

She supports requests for the whales to be removed promptly from the facility, with its crumbling tanks and shrinking team.

In recent months, the nation’s fisheries minister denied a bid to send the whales to China.

“Granting the request would have meant a perpetual existence in confinement and a reversion to display for amusement,” the minister commented. “As Canadians, we know that marine mammals should be in the ocean, not in tanks for our amusement. I could not in good conscience approve an export that would prolong the treatment these belugas have endured.”

But Burgess said the minister’s statements reflect a more general lack of awareness of the realities of living conditions for belugas born in captivity.

“The society needs to grasp these are whales that have lived entirely in enclosed habitats and they will need ongoing assistance for the remainder of their lives,” she said. “People just don’t comprehend that it’s not as easy as saying ‘shut it down’.”

Sanctuary Proposal and Continuing Discussion

As officials attempt to find a solution, suggestions have surfaced, some of which have little basis in reality. One proposal called for the belugas to be freed into the natural habitat of Canada’s north – where whales are a primary resource of sustenance for Indigenous peoples.

A suggested protected area in the region of Nova Scotia, which now received government approval, has proven highly debated. The planned location, which includes a large area of penned in ocean, remains undeveloped. Advocates remain hopeful that it could eventually represent a permanent answer for a number of the whales.

But, Burgess says, among trainers she’s consulted, there is “doubts there” about what she said is “only an trial” in the whales’ well-being.

Different voices say the idea of a refuge represents a worldwide trend away from captive facilities and could represent a feasible plan in the short term.

Charles Vinick, leader of the initiative, said the site will replicate the mental engagement and feeding regimen the whales receive from specialists, albeit in a much larger area. He said after the well-being of whales is fully assessed, which could take months|an extended period|